Objective
Targeted drug delivery across the blood brain barrier (BBB) to the central nervous system is a large challenge for the treatment of neurological disorders. This 4 year ERC program is aimed towards the evaluating the BBB penetration capacity and toxicological potential of novel carbon nanotube (CNT) carriers using an integrated multidisciplinary approach. State-of-art characterisation techniques developed by the PI will be applied and further developed to detect the interaction of carbon nanotubes with in vitro BBB model and neuronal cells. Specific aims:
1. Identify the mechanisms of translocation of CNT across the endothelial cells which comprise the BBB, as well as uptake by neuronal cells in vitro.
2. To investigate the effect of length, diameter and surface charge of CNTs on the BBB and neuronal cells penetration capacity in vitro.
3. To investigate the toxicological profile of CNT on the BBB and the various neuronal cell types (immortalised and primary neuronal cultures).
4. Develop protocols to assess whether the CNTs degrade inside the cell.
The ERC Grant will consolidate the new Research Group in nanomaterials-cell interfaces, and allow them to perform stimulating investigator-initiated frontier research in nanotoxicology and nanomedicine. To this end, a multi-disciplinary laboratory will be realized within the framework of this 4-year the ERC Programme. This will permit the group around the PI, to expand activities, push limits, create new boundaries, and develop new protocols for studying nanoparticle-cell interactions in close collaboration with ICL s Department of medicine and chemistry. Within the proposed program there is an underlying ambition both to gain a fundamental understanding for which parameters of CNTs determine their penetration capacity through the BBB and also to assess their toxicological potential at the BBB two highlighted themes by the ERC.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2010-StG_20091028
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.